Mano a Mano:Training and Experience

Training and Experience

Characters can gain CP and abilities and improve their build (speed, agility, toughness, strength, running, swimming and airspeed) through training or other experiences.

Direct Improvement

Training or experience can improve abilities and build directly. The character's total CP should then be updated to reflect the difference. For example, a character might be rewarded with 1 level of climbing ability for the experience of ascending the highest mountain in the world. This would increase his total CP by 5.

Flexible CP

An experience can give a character flexible CP which can be used to improve any ability or aspect of their build. For example, a character might be awarded 20 flexible CP for completing an adventure that involved fighting monsters, outwitting villains, finding treasure and a variety of other experiences. The player can use all 20 CP to increase a single ability by 4, or split the CP and increase 2 abilities by 2, or increase 4 abilities by 1. The player could also use the 20 CP to increase his character's speed, agility, strength, toughness, running, swimming or airspeed..

Training CP

1 CP can represent 100 hours of intense training with experts, or 300 hours of relaxed training on your own. For example a warrior might train with a fencing master for 2 hours a week for 10 years, for a total of about 10 extra CP of one-handed weapons ability. (2 hours a week multiplied by 50 weeks a year multiplied by 10 years divided by 100 hours per CP.) If the warrior also spends 12 hours training on his own each week for those 10 years, he will have an additional 20 extra CP. (12 hours a week multiplied by 50 weeks a year multiplied by 10 years divided by 300 hours per CP.)

Developing Abilities

Each ability level is worth 5 CP. A character's total ability modifier cannot be more than 10 plus his template's ability modifier. For example, if a character's template has a stealth ability modifier of 2, the greatest total stealth modifier that character could ever have would be 12 (10 + 2 = 12). If the template has no natural weapons ability, the maximum natural weapons ability of a character using that template is 10 (10 + 0 = 10).

A character can use CP to develop new abilities. A character with who does not have climbing ability could use 10 CP to get climbing ability with a modifier of 2, even if his template does not have climbing ability.

When a character's combat abilities increase, his attack modifiers and defense may also increase. If a character's marksmanship ability increases by 1, then his attack modifier for each of his guns will increase by 1. If a character's natural weapons ability increases by 1, then his attack modifier and defense with each of his natural weapons will increase by 1. Update the character's melee defense when the defense of his striking weapons improves.

Build Development

The maximum speed, toughness, agility, strength, running, swimming and airspeed a character can develop is the same as the the maximum speed, toughness, agility, strength, running, swimming and airspeed of new characters. These limitations are affected by a template's variability. (See Character Creation/Build and Character Creation.)

Developing Toughness (3 CP per level)

Developing toughness increases the amount of damage and stun a character can take before being incapacitated. Suppose a character with 5 toughness works on increasing his toughness for a couple of years and gains 6 CP worth of toughness. He will gain 2 toughness so his total toughness is now 7. When a character's toughness increases, his stamina increases by twice as much because stamina is 2 times toughness.

Developing Strength (5 CP per level)

When a character's strength increases, his weapon power may also change. Suppose a character has 3 strength. If the character gains 5 strength CP, his strength will increase to 4. The character's natural weapon power will increase to 4 and the power of his hand weapons will increase to 4 unless they are already greater than 4.

Developing Speed (20 CP)

A character can even increase his speed if he gains enough extra CP through training and experience. This has the same effect as the more speed option when creating new characters. If the character was created with more speed than the average speed for his template, he cannot develop even more speed through training and experience. Suppose a character has 1 speed and his template also has 1 speed and medium variability. If the character eventually acquires 20 CP of extra speed CP, his speed will increase to 2.

Developing Agility (10 CP per level)

When a character's agility increases, his attack modifiers and defense should be updated. Suppose a character has 3 agility. After many years of intense training he increases his total agility to 4 (which is worth about 10 CP.) All of his attack modifiers, the defense of each striking weapon, melee defense and missile defense will also increase by 1.

Developing Running, Swimming or Airspeed (5 CP per level)

Developing running, swimming or airspeed increases a character's ability to move. For example a human normally has no swimming, but after learning to swim the character can increase hs swimming to 1 for 5 CP. Later the character might practice swimming enough to increase his swimming to 2 for another 5 CP.